


Make peace with the mirror (And watch your reflection change)

by SquaresAreNotCircles



Category: Venom (Movie 2018)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Interspecies Romance, Other, everything written for this pairing is probably crack by definition, there's a tag I never thought I'd use
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-18
Updated: 2018-10-18
Packaged: 2019-08-03 20:28:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16332920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SquaresAreNotCircles/pseuds/SquaresAreNotCircles
Summary: THANK YOU. The offense is gone, replaced by what sounds like genuine pleasure. YOU’RE GOOD AT THINGS TOO, EDDIE.“Gee,” Eddie says, because he has no clue what you’re supposed to say when you’re about 90% certain the parasitic alien inhabiting part of your body and mind is flirting with you. “Thanks.”YOU’RE WELCOME.Or: In which Eddie is living a romcom (of the somewhat more experimental variety), but he needs some help to realize it.





	Make peace with the mirror (And watch your reflection change)

**Author's Note:**

> THIS MOVIE. OH MAN.
> 
> When the posters for it first appeared in the theater I was like, nah, I'll probably skip that one, but I'm SO GLAD friends and the internet convinced me to go anyway, because this was the most amazingly ridiculous thing I've seen in a while. The only problem I really had with it was that I had a hard time paying attention during the second half, because a huge part of my brain was already mentally writing fic. An hour after I got home, I had 1k of this written. It's now still the same night. It's safe to say that this is not what I was expecting, but I'm not complaining.
> 
> The title is a very popular bit of Pinterest wisdom that I couldn't find a source for (but feel free to let me know if I'm plagiarizing Albert Einstein or Lady Gaga by accident!). Fic rated T because I made them say fuck a few times and because this ship is just _really weird_ , but other than that, this is pure, sappy fluff. You've been warned.
> 
>  **Edit Nov 13, 2018:** There is now an amazing podfic of this work available!!! [You can go here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16612535) (or use the link at the bottom of this page) if you want to have this story read to you by three wonderful voices. <3

It starts with a sleepless night. Day. Sleepless twenty-four hours, whatever. 

Eddie is sprawled on the couch in front of the TV and frankly doesn’t give a rat’s ass about semantics. The gist of it is that it’s been way too fucking long since he’s slept.

See, he’s never been particularly good at sticking to a regular sleeping schedule, and even less so since he lost his job and had nowhere to be most days, nothing to anchor him to a functioning adult’s time rhythm, and no reason to get out of bed before two in the afternoon. That hasn’t improved since a being from outer space bonded with him. Most days Venom’s commentary on everything around them (and how much he wants to eat it) is reassuring in its own, strange way – Eddie hasn’t felt lonely a single fraction of a second since Venom took him hostage for the first time – but one thing it’s not is soothing, or inducive to a state of mind that will allow Eddie to fall asleep.

Neither are the nightmares he has regularly. Really, those might play a bigger part in this than Venom, but they’re even more elusive and not as much fun to pin the blame on.

_I HEARD THAT._

“I know you did. Suck it up.”

Eddie continues flipping through channels mindlessly while Venom grumbles at him. Eventually, he comes to the conclusion that there is absolutely nothing interesting on TV whatsoever and gives up. He’s stuck on what appears to be a movie marathon aimed at the teen girl demographic, and resigns himself to that.

_WHY ARE WE WATCHING THIS?_

“I don’t fucking know,” Eddie admits. “But it’s a romcom, right? Romcoms are supposed to make people feel good. I could use some of that.”

_WHAT’S A ROMCOM? WHY IS HE DOING THAT?_

Venom is referring to young Heath Ledger on screen, who has a romantic song backing him up while he’s lurking behind a blond girl, first in a music store and then a bookshop. She’s just going about her day with no idea she’s being watched. “Romcom is short for romantic comedy. And I have no clue. Looks like he’s stalking her.”

 _ROMANTIC?_ Venom repeats. He leaves just enough space that Eddie gets the feeling he’s supposed to have some kind of response to that, before everything is firmly pushed back to the status quo with Venom’s next words. _LOOKS TO ME LIKE HE WANTS TO EAT HER._

“Possible,” Eddie concedes.

_WE SHOULD BITE HIS HEAD OFF BEFORE HE CAN._

“Nah. I think he’s the love interest.” 

He’s proven right when Heath finally works up the courage to talk to the girl and she rebuffs him, telling him he hasn’t had any effect whatsoever on her panties. Venom is quiet for a bit, seemingly watching the movie. It’s got all the trappings of a typical teen comedy. Young Heath moves to a cafeteria, and then a hallway lined with lockers that give Eddie flashbacks he could do without.

_THEY’RE HIGH SCHOOLERS?_

“Hey, don’t judge. You’re a parasite.”

Venom is quiet. Eddie is convinced he can still hear the gears turn inside his own head, which gets him a little worried he actually managed to hurt Venom’s feelings.

“What, no demands for an apology?”

_NO. TERMS OF ENDEARMENT ARE TYPICAL FOR HUMAN ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS. I LIKE IT._

And that’s- Well, that’s something that leads to Eddie having some difficulty swallowing. He knows his heart rate gives him away, but he still fights to keep his voice even. “You’re not human, though.”

_I CAN COMPROMISE._

“You can?”

 _I HAVE NEVER EATEN A GOOD PERSON,_ Venom points out, sounding offended. _COMPROMISE._

“That’s, uh- That’s true. You’re very good with that.”

 _THANK YOU._ The offense is gone, replaced by what sounds like genuine pleasure. _YOU ARE GOOD AT THINGS TOO, EDDIE._

“Gee,” Eddie says, because he has no clue what you’re supposed to say when you’re about 90% certain the parasitic alien inhabiting part of your body and mind is flirting with you. “Thanks.”

_YOU’RE WELCOME. I’M NAILING THIS._

“What’s ‘this’?” Eddie is not a stupid guy. He knows he probably doesn’t want to know, but he still has to ask. The thought of Venom in combination with any type of nails makes him more than a little nervous.

_YOU._

Eddie waits, at least a full ten seconds, for anything more. Eventually, he has to accept that nothing seems to be forthcoming.

“You’re… nailing me?”

_NOT CURRENTLY._

“Should you really be sounding that smug?” Eddie wonders aloud. It’s not the best course of action, but between that and freaking the fuck out, plain and simple, it seems like the way to go.

Venom doesn’t reply, but Eddie can make up some possible answers, if he wants. They all end up along the lines of ‘ _YES, EDDIE, OF COURSE I NEED TO BE FULL OF MYSELF_ ’. Eddie tries (and fails) not to think about how it’s really him that’s full of Venom. They’ve had enough questionable innuendo for one night.

Eddie is saved from his rapid descent down the rabbit hole when Venom stretches a shiny black appendage over to the window. He opens it deftly – his fine motor skills have gotten better and better – and the thing, their fifth limb, whatever, curves out of the window and down, out of Eddie’s sight.

“Hey, hey,” he says, tugging ineffectually on the arm that’s newly sticking out of the left side of his torso. “What are you doing? Stop doing that.”

 _RELAX,_ Venom says, like Eddie is the one being unreasonable. _I’M NOT DOING ANYTHING._

Eddie gives up on trying to resist the third arm and instead just rests his hand on it, patting it a little. He sighs. “Listen, buddy, just please don’t kidnap another cat. Remember last time? You traumatized Mr. Pickles.”

ONLY BECAUSE YOU WOULDN’T LET ME EAT IT.

“Do you think it’d be any less traumatized if you _had_ eaten it?”

_YES. BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN TOO DEAD TO BE TRAUMATIZED._

As much as he’d like to, Eddie can’t argue with that. “Point,” he admits.

Instead of crowing in victory, Venom makes a strangely happy sound. _AH. GOOD._

“What? What’s good?”

Eddie has the distinct sensation that their third arm is being reeled back in. His hunch is verified when the end of the appendage reappears through the open window, bringing something pretty large inside with it. Eddie’s first thought is that at least it’s not struggling, which means it’s probably not some living thing Venom will try to convince him to let them eat.

His second thought is that it’s a window flower box. Because that’s what it is, complete with green stuff and some kind of purple and red flowers.

 _FOR YOU, EDDIE,_ Venom says, and dumps the box on Eddie’s lap.

It’s one of the ones you’re supposed to hook on the railing of your balcony, but there’s nothing for it to be hooked on here. Eddie’s reflexes are the only thing that save him from the box toppling and having all of its contents upended over himself, the couch, the floor and probably the coffee table. He holds the wooden box gingerly by the corners. It’s muddy and damp all over, even on the outside, and he can feel the coldness seep through his sweatpants.

“What the- Where the hell did you even get this?”

_DOESN’T MATTER. I GOT YOU FLOWERS. IT’S IMPOLITE TO REFUSE A GIFT._

“I, uh, I’m not.”

There’s a pointed silence. Eddie doesn’t know how he knows it’s pointed, but he feels the point, very sharply.

“I’m not, honestly!” He sniffs at the flowers, because he has a distant notion that’s what you’re supposed to do with plants, but they don’t smell of anything in particular. Maybe wet dirt. “They’re very pretty, thank you. I’m not refusing your gift, I’m just questioning its origins, because you’re, you know, a little unconventional in your methods, sometimes.”

_IT’S CALLED CREATIVE THINKING._

“I’m pretty sure it’s called petty theft.”

 _IT’S A ROMANTIC GESTURE,_ Venom insists.

“Debatable. Most romance comes without all this dirt.”

_IF YOU HATE IT THAT MUCH, I CAN TAKE IT BACK._

Eddie tightens his hands on the edges of the box. “No. I appreciate the effort. It’s noted.”

 _ALRIGHT, THEN,_ Venom says. He sounds mollified, and Eddie is more relieved than he thinks he should be. _YOU KNOW, YOUR PLANET HAS A LOT OF DIRT. DOES SAVING YOUR PLANET COUNT AS A ROMANTIC GESTURE?_

“I guess it does, yeah. As far as gestures go, it’s- it’s a pretty strong move.”

_COOL. HOW ABOUT TAKING OVER YOUR EX-FIANCÉES BODY TO KISS YOU?_

“Uh. That’s. That’s something, too. That was really your idea?”

_HEY. ANNIE IS NOT A LIAR._

“No, she is not. I just thought that, I dunno, maybe…” He’s not sure _what_ he thought, exactly. 

_AH, MISUNDERSTANDINGS._ Venom sounds pleased. _LIKE GIFTS OF FLOWERS, A CLASSIC ROMANTIC TROPE._

Eddie frowns at Venom, which amounts to frowning at flowers, empty air and the TV, which is still playing in the background. “How do you even know all of this?”

_I KNOW EVERYTHING YOU KNOW._

“Right,” Eddie says. “Right. That doesn’t seem very fair to me.”

_WELL YEAH, IT’S NOT. BUT RELATIONSHIPS IN ROMCOMS ARE OFTEN UNHEALTHY IF EXAMINED BEYOND THE SURFACE LEVEL._

“I feel like you’re quoting one of my college papers at me.”

_I KNOW EVERYTHING._

“Right,” Eddie says, again. He’s starting to feel like a broken record. Then the implications of something Venom said finally hit him. “Hey, by the way, I don’t think this is an unhealthy relationship. Just for the record, or something.”

_IT’S NOT?_

“No, no. Not at all. You know how to compromise, right? And you respect my boundaries. You know, insofar as that’s possible while you’re, uh, living inside my head.”

_BUT I COULD EAT YOU AT ANY SECOND._

“Yeah, but you won’t. You love me.”

It seems to take a while before Venom answers, but maybe that’s just because Eddie’s heart is going twice the speed limit.

 _SEE,_ Venom rumbles, finally, _YOU KNOW EVERYTHING, TOO._

“Everything?” Eddie repeats, dumbly.

_EVERYTHING THAT MATTERS._

“Oh. Okay.” He sits there for a moment, letting this sink in. He feels warm, content, safe. It takes a while until he grows aware that he still has the fucking flower box in his lap, so he picks it up and pushes some stuff around on the coffee table with his elbow to make room for it. A black tentacle grows out of his shoulder to help him. “Thanks.”

_DON’T MENTION IT._

He sits back on the couch and wipes his hands on his pants. He pretends to himself it’s because of the dirt, but really they’re just sweaty with nerves. It’s been a while since he did the whole, well, dating thing, and this is a little more intense than he’s used to. “And I, uh, I love you, too.”

_I KNOW YOU DO._

Usually Eddie would take some kind of offense at that, because it’s a bit of an unpleasantly cocky response coming from anyone but Han Solo or Leia Organa, but Venom just sounds stupidly enamored. Eddie can’t feel anything but helplessly fond in return.

_DOES THIS MEAN I DID IT RIGHT? THE COURTING?_

Eddie looks at the TV, actually looks, for the first time in a while, just when Heath surprises the blond girl with what appears to be her favorite band playing at prom. “It’s not over yet. I’m not that easy.”

_YES, YOU ARE. I’M INSIDE YOUR HEAD._

“Maybe that makes you the one that’s easy. Ever consider that, huh?”

_YES. I LITERALLY FELL FROM HEAVEN TO FIND YOU, EDDIE._

That’s overstating things a bit, but Eddie decides he can let Venom have that one. As a writer, he appreciates the attempt at symbolism. “Good thing, too,” he says, talking right through a yawn. “I’ve never been fond of heights.”

_YOU SHOULD SLEEP, NOW._

The full force of how tired he really is hits Eddie in the face, just when he’d managed to forget about it. Surprise romantic declarations took up most of the brain space that Venom doesn’t already occupy. “God, yeah. I’d like to.”

The same shoulder tentacle from earlier makes a return to poke at the remote, discarded on the couch next to them, until the TV screen turns black. The tentacle doesn’t shrink down. It just morphs into something longer, more solid, that snakes around Eddie’s chest and molds itself to his torso. It’s like getting a custom-made hug.

 _THEN SLEEP, EDDIE,_ Venom says (demands, more like).

“Yeah, yeah.” Eddie can’t remember when his eyes slipped shut. He’s already half gone, but he raises a hand, one of his own, to cover part of Venom’s arm, pet it a little, cuddle him back.

He drifts off to Venom’s purring, low and soothing. His last thought is that when he wakes up, he’ll have to give Venom shit for how much he sounds like a happy cat, and he thinks he hears some laughter, maybe, far away.

**Author's Note:**

> The movie they're (not really) watching is Ten Things I Hate About You, which I love to bits and have seen a million times, meaning it was also the easiest clichéd teen romcom to reference/drag. (As a side note, bonus points for anyone who can spot the Hawaii Five-0 reference in this fic. I'm not sorry.)
> 
> Thank you for reading!! Consider leaving a comment, if you're able to - they're rad and have the very real ability to make my day, which probably scores you a lot of karmic points. It's a win-win, honestly. <3 
> 
> I'm on Tumblr as [itwoodbeprefect](https://itwoodbeprefect.tumblr.com)!

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Make peace with the mirror (And watch your reflection change) [Podfic]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16612535) by [Arioch](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arioch/pseuds/Arioch), [fishpatrol](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fishpatrol/pseuds/fishpatrol), [frecklebombfic (frecklebomb)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/frecklebomb/pseuds/frecklebombfic)




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